Barb Macdonald
03-03-2007, 12:45 PM
(This is about the thread re: slow warm-up) (I posted it in that old thread, btw, thanks for the leveling idea of the bed, I'm been working on that, the table isn't dead flat across the whole bed, but I still don't see why it would work/be level/flat, and then not?)
I have a July 2006 epilog ext, and it had the slow-warm-up problem, along with several others that I'm learning more about each day from these posts, (what a great forum!)which seems to have been fixed by service from my tech. Is it, or isn't it, normal for these machines? It's been just fine, since, with really cold mornings. I do let it "warm" up, like for the few minutes it takes to initialize, but before that I needed a scrap piece to warm up with. I think I'm more confused now:)
I'm getting several warranty parts from epilog regarding an x-axis shifting issue, as my latest problems showed up again, while working with laserable plastic from encore etc. I don't know if these machines are "robust" enough for full-speed full-bed size raster production work in this material? That said, the first work I had for my new machine was 4000 3"x 4" white/black valve tags, 3 lines 3/8" text/vector cut, all diff, with two holes in 'em , a rotary engravers' nightmare (suuuure, you can do multiple set-ups:) The machine had some weird issues like the air assist hose catching, and hanging up the x-axis cause it was flying around so much, yes, with the cover on.. The flatness of the material was a slight issue, but not too bad at all, and I was fair-paid for the work, thank goodness. I'm just wondering if the filthy-ness of the material causes me to have to over-clean the machine? Is that possible? Is this hard on the machine? I clean the encoder strip and the rails and the belts, and the auto-focus plunger of the crud build-up, exactly as per my service techs specs (I'm great at following specs!). Is this OK? Is that x-axis really tuff enough?http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/icons/icon5.gif
An RF unit, and a periscope have already been replaced. (I was making lots of clear acrylic Christmas ornaments, and the raster text just kinda faded away.... to odd lines)
I clean the mirrors, too, but not TOO often, per my tech., each time she's come out, she's found I've left lens-cleaning residue on the mirrors, so I guess I'm using too much, and not drying enough. I do find it hard to see them! I did take them out for cleaning, once, per the manual, and was immediately told by the tech that that could screw up my alignment, not mentioned in the manual....
Currently, my raster text fades, if I try to do a larger size piece than the top left corner of the table, like 3x12 maybe, (otherwise, I have to autofocus to each piece) and after a service tech alignment, including the mirror at the bottom, and the red-dot, just to be helpful, (cause it was WAY off) and one sheet of test laserable,(45 minutes of rastering full width) the next test, after the service tech left, of course, did the shifting thing, big-time, and the fading thing in really weird places, to the point that I'm hoping for the best with this machine.
I cleaned the machine, ran the next test, same thing.
The x-axis has a "thunk", on boot-up.... BUt not everytime, of course. Service tech has heard it, didn't like it, it's been doing that for several weeks, anyway! I wonder if that shakes the alignment loose?
I guess I was hoping it wouldn't argue so much while doing material that I hate rotary engraving, and it is amazing, the detail you can achieve.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
It's been so great at vectoring acrylic, to the point that I wish my TRAX Sign System had some plastic in it somewhere!!
It doesn't seem to mark my black anodized aluminum TRAX white, my customer didn't like the lack of contrast, but I guess I should wait 'n see, once I have more parts.
I'm such a "newbie", I can't really add anything useful, except "Yes, I've had THAT problem!!"
And yes, I'm amazed by the capabilities of these machines, I just want to keep mine happy for many years to come!
Thanks for listening!
Barb
(working from home, on dial-up, stop chuckling,http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/icons/icon10.gif you lucky high-speed people you!)
epilog legend ext, xenetech 13x13 & 16x25, corel x3, casmate! Still runnin', after all these years.... Mimaki plotter, too, ditto..
I have a July 2006 epilog ext, and it had the slow-warm-up problem, along with several others that I'm learning more about each day from these posts, (what a great forum!)which seems to have been fixed by service from my tech. Is it, or isn't it, normal for these machines? It's been just fine, since, with really cold mornings. I do let it "warm" up, like for the few minutes it takes to initialize, but before that I needed a scrap piece to warm up with. I think I'm more confused now:)
I'm getting several warranty parts from epilog regarding an x-axis shifting issue, as my latest problems showed up again, while working with laserable plastic from encore etc. I don't know if these machines are "robust" enough for full-speed full-bed size raster production work in this material? That said, the first work I had for my new machine was 4000 3"x 4" white/black valve tags, 3 lines 3/8" text/vector cut, all diff, with two holes in 'em , a rotary engravers' nightmare (suuuure, you can do multiple set-ups:) The machine had some weird issues like the air assist hose catching, and hanging up the x-axis cause it was flying around so much, yes, with the cover on.. The flatness of the material was a slight issue, but not too bad at all, and I was fair-paid for the work, thank goodness. I'm just wondering if the filthy-ness of the material causes me to have to over-clean the machine? Is that possible? Is this hard on the machine? I clean the encoder strip and the rails and the belts, and the auto-focus plunger of the crud build-up, exactly as per my service techs specs (I'm great at following specs!). Is this OK? Is that x-axis really tuff enough?http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/icons/icon5.gif
An RF unit, and a periscope have already been replaced. (I was making lots of clear acrylic Christmas ornaments, and the raster text just kinda faded away.... to odd lines)
I clean the mirrors, too, but not TOO often, per my tech., each time she's come out, she's found I've left lens-cleaning residue on the mirrors, so I guess I'm using too much, and not drying enough. I do find it hard to see them! I did take them out for cleaning, once, per the manual, and was immediately told by the tech that that could screw up my alignment, not mentioned in the manual....
Currently, my raster text fades, if I try to do a larger size piece than the top left corner of the table, like 3x12 maybe, (otherwise, I have to autofocus to each piece) and after a service tech alignment, including the mirror at the bottom, and the red-dot, just to be helpful, (cause it was WAY off) and one sheet of test laserable,(45 minutes of rastering full width) the next test, after the service tech left, of course, did the shifting thing, big-time, and the fading thing in really weird places, to the point that I'm hoping for the best with this machine.
I cleaned the machine, ran the next test, same thing.
The x-axis has a "thunk", on boot-up.... BUt not everytime, of course. Service tech has heard it, didn't like it, it's been doing that for several weeks, anyway! I wonder if that shakes the alignment loose?
I guess I was hoping it wouldn't argue so much while doing material that I hate rotary engraving, and it is amazing, the detail you can achieve.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
It's been so great at vectoring acrylic, to the point that I wish my TRAX Sign System had some plastic in it somewhere!!
It doesn't seem to mark my black anodized aluminum TRAX white, my customer didn't like the lack of contrast, but I guess I should wait 'n see, once I have more parts.
I'm such a "newbie", I can't really add anything useful, except "Yes, I've had THAT problem!!"
And yes, I'm amazed by the capabilities of these machines, I just want to keep mine happy for many years to come!
Thanks for listening!
Barb
(working from home, on dial-up, stop chuckling,http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/icons/icon10.gif you lucky high-speed people you!)
epilog legend ext, xenetech 13x13 & 16x25, corel x3, casmate! Still runnin', after all these years.... Mimaki plotter, too, ditto..